A/N: Thanks for the patience! Hope you enjoy. Please feel free to comment and review!

Runaway

One Week Later

Holly dropped two ice cubes into her coffee cup and watched as Gail turned her nose up at the action. Holly ignored the look of disgust on her fiancée's face, and took a long, slow sip of the cooled liquid. It had happened again last night, which was why Holly was paying no attention to Gail's off mood this morning. It scared her, perhaps as much as it did Gail, because of all the changes occurring in their lives right now; but there was something deeper pestering Holly. The last time Gail had persistent panic attacks, Gail left her, and Holly knew she couldn't handle that again. They were officially a week away from packing up this townhouse and placing all their belongings in storage to head to Greenland. Holly's paperwork had been faxed over that morning; her contracts, housing documents and grant applications, and she was now reading them over instead of addressing the jitteriness cause by Gail's rough night.

Gail was taking the opposite approach, absolutely fixated on everything that had been going wrong since she had told her best friend the truth about their undercover mission. After explaining to Chelyn that she was essentially the cause of her almost dying; Gail had been paralyzed by the consequences of her reveal. She knew that Chelyn had every right to outright hate her, but Chelyn was taking this too far; she had gone radio silent with Gail. Chelyn had checked herself out of hospital the same night, before she had time to calm down and allow Gail to return with a more thorough explanation. However, it didn't matter…what could really be an explanation for that type of negligence and betrayal?

"Shit," Holly yelled, scanning the passage she had just read of her contract for a second time. "Shit!" she reiterated.

Gail broke out of her trance slowly, recognizing that Holly needed her attention right now. "What's the matter?" she asked calmly.

"This clause," Holly said rereading it again. "My housing grant…it'll only cover us both if we are married," she said weakly. "Otherwise…"

"Can they do that?" Gail asked, trying to muster up enough anger to seem interested. "Can they mandate your living arrangement?"

"With research money? Of course they can," Holly said frantically, pointing to the clause. "Shit!" she said wringing her wrist with her opposite hand. "I don't know anything about Greenland's renting prices…we'll have to find somewhere to live…outside of the camp…" Holly began chatting to herself more than to Gail.

"Or we could just get married," Gail said easily. It was the easy perfect solution. One that would solve all of their problems tidily. It would have been a gratifying solution, Gail and Holly scratching their signatures on a marriage certificate one day at lunch. Avoiding the complicated and boisterous process of picking out dresses, doing hair and nails and pacifying families with buffets, toasts and a million pictures that would end up on a social networking site. Instead, they could scratch their names in the proper boxes, kiss meaningfully and proceed to gulp down bottle after bottle of champagne at the honeymoon suite of a local bed and breakfast; followed by getting on a plane to Greenland and forgetting all the terrors of Toronto for a year. No more overbearing mother, competitive brother and sister-in-law and no more betrayed best friend that no longer returned calls. It could all be so simple…

"It will feel like cheating," Holly admitted.

Gail arched a brow, remembering the sweat and breathlessness of the night before; the panic and dread conjured just by opening her eyes. "I could use a cheat right now," she said honestly.

Holly couldn't push down her pragmatic side. "What about rings, and dresses and flowers?" she questioned, running through the list of things that would have to be done in her mind. Her future wife didn't have the heart to tell her that she didn't give a damn about that shit. Realizing that Gail didn't care about any of that stuff, Holly smiled. "Can we at least pick out rings?" she laughed despite herself.

"I'll even get you some flowers," Gail managed to smile also. "We can go Thursday and spend a long weekend at a bed and breakfast…then spend next week getting everything in storage and ready for Greenland? We can get rings, flowers and dresses in that time."

"So we are having an old fashion shotgun wedding?" Holly questioned, well amused with the situation now.

"Yeah," Gail agreed, "except this didn't result from back of the car fumblings and tequila as my mother expected it would when I was a teenager."

Holly stood, walked over to Gail and kissed her passionately. "I love you, Gail Peck."

Gail only wished she loved herself right now, as much as her fiancée did.

She would never get Chelyn Blaise to say 'I love you' now. It was the realization that Elle had gather six nights earlier when Chelyn had found her way to her apartment stoop. It had been cold; so cold that the infection seemed to freeze in Chelyn's chest and her tears froze to her milk chocolate skin. She had tearfully explained what Gail had revealed to her; the deceit, the secrets, the lies to save their own asses, and yet Chelyn still didn't fume as she should have. Instead, she figured righteous indignation served no purpose now and Elle had agreed. They had headed to the motel room, packed her things and moved her in with Elle that night. Chelyn had fallen asleep on the couch with the lights from downtown glowing against her tear-streaked skin. By the time Elle returned from her night shift, the sun had replaced the city-lights, but Elle knew everything was different.

"Do you want breakfast?" she now asked, six days and her first night/day off in a week. She had wavered between coddling her girlfriend and giving her the space to properly seethe at her predicament. Chelyn had become obviously stronger the week she had spent living with Elle. Her meds were taking effect and the proper meals and rest were dislodging the infection from her lungs; yet, it was obvious she was still weak mentally.

Chelyn shifted in the bed away from the sunlight and looked at Elle's pale skin kissed by the same object she wanted to avoid. "No," she replied, trying to tamper down the bolt of desire Elle's voice caused to coil in her gut. "We can just lie here," she said slowly, turning onto her back. She wished, only for a moment, that Elle was different. It was as if Elle could sense as much and she turned on her back also.

"I disappoint you," Elle mumbled to herself more than to her girlfriend.

"I want you," Chelyn corrected her. She wrapped her finger around one of Elle's brown curls and sighed. Elle removed her hand and gently played with her fingers.

"You are still sick," she reminded Chelyn gently.

Chelyn couldn't argue that, yet she didn't feel sick. She felt angry most of the time, but having Elle's body pressed against her for an entire night had replaced that anger with lust. She wanted Elle to be bold, to be sexy, to be lusty, hell, downright dirty; but Elle was not that girl. She was the girl that walked into the apartment after working a ten hour shift and made sure all her meds were taken and that she had chia tea to help her throat.

"What do you want me to do?" Elle asked meekly after absorbing Chelyn's silence.

"Nothing," Chelyn shook her head and half-smiled. "I can make breakfast this morning," she offered, changing the subject. She would never pressure Elle into anything or make her feel bad. She moved to sit up, but Elle turned onto her side and slid her hand beneath Chelyn's ribbed shirt. The newly formed scars caused her to pause, but Chelyn didn't seem to mind her apprehension.

"Tell me what to do," she whispered huskily against Chelyn's neck. She felt Chelyn stiffen and couldn't help but smile a bit. She hadn't realized how much she had missed sex with Chelyn. They hadn't had much time to explore their sexual relationship, but the times they had slept together, Elle had to admit it was amazing. Chelyn was the perfect mixture of controlling and submissive; giving Elle the space, yet the direction to enjoy herself. Elle could tell that right now Chelyn wanted to take control, yet she stopped herself.

"I want you to do whatever you want to do, Elle," Chelyn answered honestly.

"I don't wanna hurt you," Elle said simply.

"Okay," Chelyn conceded, kissing Elle's neck before rolling to the edge of the bed. "Do you want eggs and toast?" she asked sliding from the bed. What Chelyn really needed was a cold shower, but making breakfast would be enough of a distraction. She made her way into the living room, picking her phone up from the charger as she headed to the kitchen. Gail had been calling her for nearly six days now, and she had been aptly ignoring her ex- best friend. She scrolled through her text messages and stopped.

Gail: Gettin' married this week…thought u shud kno.

Chelyn gritted down on her back teeth and wanted to erase the message, but something inside of her wouldn't allow it. She knew how much Gail loved Holly and could only imagine how happy she must be right now.

Chelyn: Get her pregnant?

Chelyn pulled the eggs from the fridge and began beating them for scrambled eggs. Her phone buzzed again, almost automatically.

Gail: We're goin to Greenland.

Chelyn: Is that in Canada?

Gail: Who was your geography teacher? It's a country…

Chelyn couldn't deny her jealousy. The thought of being away flood and floored her at the same time.

Chelyn: Congratulations …good luck.

She erased the messages and went back to making eggs and toasts. It would have been better if she hadn't have answered at all.

Gail waited for another reply, but had received none in the last ninety minutes. She took a deep breath, frowned and rethought telling her best friend that she was leaving through text messages. It was beginning to snow and Holly was preoccupied with the fax machine and sending papers back and forth to Greenland. She had proffered her resignation to the city of Toronto only thirty minutes earlier, and had received an email back from her boss to the effects that she could return after her year of research. It made the city look good, Holly being offered a grant-study in Greenland for research; Holly made everyone look good.

Now Gail's resignation would be a bit stickier, and in classic Gail Peck standards, she planned to wait until the last minute to spring her departure on her mother. Elaine Peck didn't deserve notice or niceties and Gail had no intentions of offering her either. Just a slinging of her badge in less than six days and never looking back. What she would do when she returned a year from now was up in the air, but being under Elaine Peck's thumb was not in her plans.

Sometime around noon, Gail had turned one of Holly's expensive custom upholstered chairs towards the grand bay window in the front room and watched as snow slowly gathered on the windowsill. Her mind trailed to the fact that Chelyn was good at keeping secrets; had to have been, because her mother, Traci, nor Steve had climbed into her ass about telling the young cop the truth of her stabbing. This could only mean that Chelyn hadn't blown up and confronted any other party involved. That wasn't Chelyn's style…she would bury this information until she needed it the most and use it to her advantage. It was the reason Chelyn was so good and requested as an undercover cop.

"I didn't know it was calling for snow today," Holly frowned. "I hope it's cleared by Friday. It's bad enough trying to pull our 'wedding' together in two days. We don't need snow to help impede our progress."

"Baby, you are freaking out," Gail sighed, not even having to look at her future wife.

"I want this to be nice…even if it is expedient," Holly said coming to Gail and straddling her. "Don't you want a nice day, Peck?"

"I feel like this is a trick question," Gail admitted trying to kiss Holly, but was rebuffed.

"Did you get a room?" Holly questioned.

"Yes," Gail said tongue-kissing Holly. "Three days, by the water, even though it's freezing."

"We aren't leaving the room for three days, baby," Holly promised, loving how forceful Gail's kiss was. Everything had been chaotic the last month or so and Holly could feel their intimacy being tested. However, no one could turn her on like Gail Peck.

"We don't have to leave the house today…"

"Actually; I do," Holly frowned. "A have a few cases to finish up and since it is snowing …"

"Ugh…just go," Gail pouted smacking Holly's ass.

"I'll make it up to you tonight," she said standing. "Hey…do you think you can pick out our wedding bands? Before you say no…pick out whatever you like…I trust your taste."

"I bet you do," Gail laughed. "I am marrying you. I'll pick us out beautiful rings," she swore, honored that Holly would entrust her with this task.

Holly bent over and kissed Gail softly. "I'm taking your car…"

"I need the Jeep…" Gail said to Holly's back.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours," she said grabbing Gail's keys and heading out the door.

Gail smiled to herself and tried not to feel silly for being so in love with Holly. She pulled out her phone and pulled up a couple of jewelry store websites. She found Holly's almost instantly, a platinum band with diamonds and sapphires. She would later choose a simple platinum band for herself, but she couldn't wipe the smile off of her lips when she thought of how the sapphire and diamond band would look on Holly's finger. She called to order them, and the woman at the jewelry store said she could have them in by Friday morning, which only added to Gail's giddiness. She was getting married; marrying Holly Stewart, the coolest chick she had ever met; perhaps the coolest chick on the planet.

Holly returned nearly four hours later, when the snow had reached nearly eight inches on the ground. "If Greenland is like this," Holly frowned pressing her cold lips to Gail's, "we are going to freeze…"

"Greenland is a lot worse than this," Gail said holding back a smile. She took the grocery bags from Holly's hands. "What'd you get?" she asked peeking into the bags.

"I thought we'd make pizza…"

"You are going to put vegetables on it," Gail snickered. "It ruins a perfectly good pizza."

Holly rolled her eyes skyward and leaned against the kitchen counter. "What did you do while I was gone?"

"Picked out the perfect wedding bands for us," Gail said opening the pack of pepperoni.

Holly took them from her hand. "You are determined aren't you?" she smiled grandly.

Gail lifted Holly onto the counter and stepped in between her legs. She kissed Holly passionately, allowing her hands to find their way underneath the two long sleeve shirts Holly had on. "It's not every day I get married."

"And you will never be getting married again," Holly whispered against her lips. She allowed Gail's tongue into her mouth and moaned against Gail's hand on her bra. "What did you pick out?" she questioned, once she came up for air.

"Diamonds and sapphires," Gail said huskily. She pulled one of Holly's shirts over her head.

"It sounds beautiful," Holly said gently, resting her head against Gail's. Gail didn't answer, just kissed Holly deeply again and began unbuttoning her fiancée's pants. "We aren't going to make pizza tonight, are we?" Holly's breath caught as Gail's hand roamed lower.

"Perhaps...eventually…" Gail laughed; but she knew eventually would never come.

Chelyn could feel it; she could feel his presence near and it was pure reaction to spring forward and grab at the figure invading her space.

"Whoa…whoa!" Elle yelled, startled by Chelyn's speed even when she was half sleep. "It's me…it's just me," she said shakily.

"Shit!" Chelyn grunted loudly. It took her a moment to let go of Elle's wrist, which she had tightly bound to her. "You can't do that!" she nearly screamed at her girlfriend. "You can't sneak up when I'm sleep." She swung her legs to the edge of the bed and tried to calm her breathing. Sweat had begun to bead along her forehead and chest, even though her body was shivering. Chelyn's head began pounding and she slammed her fist onto the nightstand on her side of the bed. She slid to the soft carpet on the floor and buried her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry…" Elle whispered. Her voice quaked. "It's just time for your meds…" she managed. Silence engulfed the room for a while.

Chelyn swallowed thickly, even though her mouth was dry. "I'm sorry," Chelyn said clearing some stray tears that had escaped her eyes. She turned to look up at Elle, who was safely on the other side of the bed. "I'm sorry baby…I just…" Elle slowly moved to be beside Chelyn. She rung her wrist to lessen some of the discomfort. Chelyn took her wrists gently. "I'm so sorry, baby. I would never hurt you on purpose."

"You didn't hurt me," Elle shrugged. "I shouldn't have tried to wake you…"

"I could feel him that night in the room…it was the only thing that saved me. That, and I think he wanted to enjoy it…toy with me. I think I was about to move when I felt the knife," Chelyn trembled just thinking about it. It was the first time she was actually talking about what happened that night with someone other than the SIU investigators. Her hand instinctively went to scar lining her ribcage. "After the initial shock and pain…the pain was excruciating, blinding…after I had shot a man to death in my bedroom, I kept thinking…it was a good thing you were pissed with me…"

Elle shushed her gently. "Don't…"

"If you would have gotten hurt…" she almost choked. She shook her head, and refocused her eyes, "I'm going after my father, Elle," she said firmly. "And then I'm leaving this place and never looking back…" Chelyn vowed ominously. "I think you should come with me…" she said before standing up, peeling off her sweat drench shirt and heading into the bathroom.

What an invitation, was all Elle could manage to pull together as she listen to the shower run.